Flavour feature: delicious, delightful strawberries

We are mad about whimsical, wonderful strawberries, and start longing for strawberry season in the middle of winter, when we’re watching Wimbledon on TV and all those lucky Poms are tucking into their traditional mid-summer treat of fresh strawberries and cream. The good news is that, at last, South Africa is smack-bang in the middle of delicious, delightful strawberry season.

STRAWBERRY’S SUPERPOWERS
The health benefits of strawberries are legendary. This cute little fruit is an antioxidant superpower, packed with immunity-boosting vitamin C, which is also an important nutrient for eye health. Strawberries have cancer-fighting properties, too: the antioxidants scavenge free radicals, while a plant chemical called ellagic acid can help to suppress cancer cell growth as well as promote healthy cholesterol levels. The anti-inflammatory properties can ease joint inflammation, while the potassium in strawberries can help to regulate blood pressure. Plus, strawberries give you a fibre boost – great for your digestive system and for regulating blood sugar levels. What a superfood!

PICK YOUR OWN
If you haven’t ever gone strawberry picking, start planning an outing now. There are berry farms around SA where you can pick your own juicy little fruits (eating as much as you like as you go). It’s a fantastic way to get connected to the outdoors and to source and support locally grown food. We’ve rounded up a few of the farms where you can pick your own just to get you started; if you know of other great options in your area, please let us all know in the Comments section below. Remember to phone ahead to check exact directions and opening hours.

GAUTENG

• Perfect Grow, Frans Korb Street, Oatland, Krugersdorp; 074 134 3023.

MPUMALANGA

• Terebinte Berry Farm, Modderspruit Farm, outside Graskop; 013 767 1838.

NORTH WEST PROVINCE

• Tangaroa The Strawberry Farm, near Hartbeespoort Dam, Skeerpoort; 012 207 1116, 082 503 5996; www.thestrawberryfarm.co.za.

FREE STATE

• Bon-Af Berry Farm, next to the N1 on R59/R42 to Parys; 056 811 3966;
  www.berry-farm.co.za. (Although not strictly a strawberry farm, Bon-Af has seven types of berries – from raspberries and blackberries to gooseberries and elderberries to choose from, so we thought it worth including.)

WESTERN CAPE

• Helderberg Farm, Klein Helderberg Road, off the R44, Somerset West; 021 855 4308.
• Polkadraai Farm, 
Polkadraai Road (M12), Stellenbosch; 021 881 3854; www.polkadraaifarm.co.za.
• Mooiberge Strawberry Farm, R44, Stellenbosch; 021 881 3222.
• The Berry Farm, Hermitage Valley, N6, Swellendam; 082 4218 555; www.sgaf.co.za/berryfarm.html.
• Redberry Farm, Geelhoutboom Road, Blanco, George; 044 870 7123; www.redberryfarm.co.za.

STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER
This last weekend saw us get out to a local strawberry farm, where the whole family spent happy hours on a strawberry treasure hunt. When the strawberries are still warm from the sun, they taste sweeter and juicier than you can imagine!

Even better, the farmer sold crates of second-grade strawberries for a song. These are perfect for cooking with, so Sunday turned into a marathon strawberry ice-cream-making session, using Granny’s famous family recipe. The freezer is now packed with 14 litres (yes, we got carried away) of the best ice cream ever. It’s so easy and delicious, you can try it for yourself:

500g fresh strawberries, hulled
230g castor sugar
250ml cream
dash of vanilla extract

1. Gently heat the strawberries in a heavy-based saucepan with a few tablespoons of the castor sugar.
2. Simmer very gently for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very juicy. Set aside to cool.
3. In the meantime, whisk together the cream, vanilla extract and remaining castor sugar until soft peaks form. (Note: you can adjust the amount of sugar to taste, remembering that the strawberries themselves add a lot of sweetness, but on the other hand food tastes slightly less sweet when frozen.)
4. Once the strawberries are cold, purée them with a stick blender or in a food processor. (Leave it a little chunky if you’d like real strawberry bits in your ice cream.)
5. Gently mix together the cream and the strawberry purée, pour into a container, seal with a tight-fitting lid and freeze, stirring halfway through to break up any ice crystals.

OUR MOUTHWATERING STRAWBERRY RECIPES
Few will disagree that a bowl of freshly picked strawberries served with cream is one of the most delicious instant puddings there is. However, when these summer berries are so abundant it’s hard to eat them fast enough, so here’s our pick of our favourite strawberry recipes.

Strawberry Bread-and-Butter Pudding
Sliced brioche, lashings of cream infused with a split vanilla pod and sliced fresh strawberries update this down-to-earth classic and transform it into a fine-dining favourite. Bake it in our gorgeous oven-to-table Heritage Dish as a subtle reminder of the recipe’s vintage roots, or make individual portions in Mini Cocottes or Ramekins if you’re serving it for a special occasion.

Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread
We admit it: with its filling of whipped cream and sliced strawberries, and a double layer of crispy, buttery shortbread, this recipe is pure indulgence! The touche finale is the chocolate-dipped strawberry that tops each serving. Make your shortbread in our Fluted Flan Dish for the signature frilly edging, and present individual servings on beautiful Tea Plates that show off this ridiculously gorgeous treat to full advantage.

Strawberry Jam and Custard Lamingtons
With delicious strawberry jam and a rich homemade custard sandwiched between feather-light layers of sponge cake, our lamingtons are très chic. Serve the finished coconut-dusted squares on Pale Rose Tea Plates from our Strawberry Tea Collection for a treat that is as pretty as a picture.

Strawberry Cream Milkshakes
This is a brilliant way to use up any very ripe strawberries left in your fridge – what they may have lost in texture, they’ll have gained in sweetness and fullness of flavour. Simply whizz them in a blender with vanilla extract, full-cream milk and vanilla ice cream, and serve in our Le Creuset Stoneware Mugs. Remember to chill the mugs in the freezer first to keep your milkshakes refreshingly cold.

To view our full range of products, visit our online shop at www.lecreuset.co.za, or pop into your nearest Le Creuset Boutique store.